Last month, when we ran our LA Auto Show: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly article, we asked you to vote on your favorite car of the whole auto show. In the end the Audi e-Tron GT took the crown convincingly with 29% of the votes, suggesting that when they put their minds (and pencils) to work, the strait-laced boffins at Audi still have what it takes to excite the crowds. Click below to see the final results, including some good news for American brands, but bad ones for Audi’s German compatriots and Korean ones. [Read more…]

Audi e-Tron GT

Bart: Hot

Design-wise, the e-Tron GT is an absolute hit with its sexy curves and aggressive front-end. It’s a great reminder that Audi is still capable of bold designs and I sincerely hope the production version will not be toned down to become hardly distinguishable from the A5 or A7. However, the technology that Audi has presented for this car [Read more…]

Sales in the US Mid-sized Sports segment fell by 11.5% to 110,646 in the first half of 2018, as the segment’s moderate decline continued unabated, with the big three muscle cars (Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger) remaining unchanged in 2018. While the second half of the year will see the release of the new [Read more…]

Segment continues shrinking, with only the evergreen Challenger and the new Porsches registering sales growth

Sales in the US Mid-sized Sports segment fell by 11.0% to 51,950 in the first quarter of 2018, continuing the trend that began with the 13.9% sales decline in 2017. With no updates coming for the American big three muscle (Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger) in 2018, the segment is unlikely to recover in 2018. [Read more…]

Sales of exotic cars in Europe increase 13% in 2017 to 6.776 units. For the first time the Ferrari 488 takes the annual segment crown, its predecessor 458 Italia never took the title so the last time a Ferrari was the best selling exotic car in Europe was in 2009, the last year of the F430. This is the first time in six years the Bentley Continental GT does not top the exotics sales charts, and the difference between the two models was just 7 sales as the Continental made a final sprint in an attempt to reclaim the lead. A new generation of the Bentley is due in 2018 so the tables are likely to be turned again this year. In third place we find the Aston Martin DB11, the segment leader in the first quarter of the year. This top-3 controls 63% of the segment and they’re the only models with four-figure sales in Europe. Best of the rest is the Lamborghini Huracan, up 25% to improve sales every year since its launch, as well as setting a new annual sales record for any Lamborghini model in Europe, beating the Gallardo’s 629 sales in 2007. The Aston Martin Vanquish is up 45% but falls 20 sales short of breaking its annual sales record from 2013 when the current generation was just launched. That helps it become the best selling V12-only model ahead of the Lamborghini Aventador, down 13% and the Ferrari F12, down by a third as its replacement 812 Superfast arrived in showrooms. The Rolls Royce Dawn convertible slightly dips but remains ahead of the Wraith coupe. The Honda NSX sells just an average of 10 units a month in its first year. Lastly, Bugatti delivered 16 unique copies of the Chiron in Europe last year, one shy of the Veyron’s peak year of 17 deliveries in 2007.

Dodge Challenger is the only model not to lose sales as Ford Mustang’s sales drop drives segment decline

Sales in the sports mid-sized segment fell by 10.4% to 49,761 in the fourth quarter of 2017, while overall sales in 2017 fell by 13.9% to 231,161. With only one model seeing its sales rise last year it’s fair to say that the segment has seen better days, and with no new updates coming for the American big three muscle (Ford Mustang, [Read more…]

The segment and the new Ford Mustang continue their double-digit declines

Sales in the Mid-sized Sports segment continued falling in the third quarter of 2017 as they had so far this year, resulting in a YTD fall of 14.9%. As we had mentioned before, while the headline figure is mainly the result in falling popularity for the segment leader Ford Mustang, in fact most cars in the segment, even the newest ones, have seen their popularity fall in 2017 so far. Clearly the allure of alternative “emotional purchases” such as 4-door “coupes” (BMW 4-series GranCoupe, Audi A5 Sportback) and sporty SUVs (BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, Porsche Macan) is eating into the traditional segment in which rich 50- and 60-year-olds used to treat themselves.

After a slight decrease in the second quarter of 2017,sales of exotic cars in Europe have returned to double digit growth with a 10% increase in the third quarter. As a result, the year-to-date figure is still up 16% to just over 5.500 units. The all-new Aston Martin DB11 has already lost the segment lead it took in the first quarter, as it was down into third place in both Q2 and Q3. The best seller in the third quarter was the former segment leader Bentley Continental GT, even though the next generation of that model has already been revealed and will hit showrooms in 2018. The current generation lost 13% of its volume in the third quarter. The Ferrari 488 was up 13% in Q3 and holds on to its top spot for now, but it will be a tight race with the Continental GT if the latter keeps up its momentum. If the Bentley manages to top the ranking again this year, it would mark the 6th consecutive year the model will do so. For the 488 it would be the first time in its career. Its predecessor 458 Italia never took the title, as the last time a Ferrari was the best selling exotic car in Europe was in 2009, the last year of the F430. The only other model to sell over 150 units in Q3 is the Lamborghini Huracan, up 8% on last year.

A few weeks ago when the BMW Z4 Concept came out we asked you, our readers of what you thought of Munich’s latest creation. As you can see below, most everyone thought it was a genuine looker: exactly half of you thought it was gorgeous, while another 30% thought it looked great, but lacked a certain BMW-ness. So, not bad for BMW – now the challenge will be to turn the concept into a production model, which I’m a bit worried about given how the production 8-series looks to lose a lot of what made the 8-series Concept special (not least that hawkish nose).

The new BMW Z4 Concept is a good, maybe even great-looking car: it has great proportions, some really nice and aggressive detailing, and is finished in a very eye-catching combination of sunset orange and brushed aluminum. But is it a great-looking BMW? Cover the grille, or simply merge the two kidneys into one single item, and many would struggle to ascribe the car to a particular brand – the Z4 blends a lot of cues, many seemingly from other carmakers, making the finished product seem a bit too un-BMW-like for my taste. And while the outside influences could be ascribed to many different sources, there is one concept in particular that the Z4 reminds me of…